Our Ukrainian National Musical Academy

The Kiev Conservatory was founded in 1913 at the Kiev Music College of the Russian Musical Society. The organization of the conservatory was spearheaded by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Glazunov, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The first directors were V. Pukhalsky (1913) and Reinhold Glière (1914–1920). 

I am very proud that our Conservatory is called the Ukrainian National Musical Academy now.

The Conservatory (the National Musical Academy) provides all-round general education and high level of professional training for the young musicians. Besides special, historical and theoretical musical subjects the students also take courses in philosophy, art criticism and foreign languages, as well as physical education. Foreigners are offered the same curricula.

The Academy comprises six departments: the composers’ department, the department of history and theory of music, the piano department, the orchestra department with the divisions of violin, string, wind and folk instruments, the singers’ department with the divisions of opera, chamber singing and musical comedy, the conductors’ department with the divisions of choir and symphony conducting.

Senior students major in subjects which are essential for their future activity. Their graduation papers are oriented towards the fields in which they can apply the received musical knowledge and experience.

Students are provided with hostel accommodation. They take practical training before the graduation exams. Passing examinations with good marks the students get scholarships. Some students study on a budgetary basis, and others pay a tuition fee. The main purpose is to enrich the students’ knowledge in fundamental sciences and to teach students to put to use creatively what they have learnt.

There are two halls in our Academy: the Great hall and the Small hall. In the Great hall we can listen to different operas, concerts with foreign musicians, and take part in different celebrations dedicated to the memorial days. In the Small hall the students, teacher of our Academy and different guests can perform and listen to different chamber concerts, students’ playing and singing and so on.

During the years of its existence the Academy graduated over 8.000 musicians. Many of them represent the music of Ukraine and become winners at International and Ukrainian musical contacts. Many of its graduates were awarded the title of the People’s and Honoured Artists of USSR and Ukraine.

Great Britain

The British Isles forms a group of islands. The largest two of them are Great Britain and Ireland. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometres.

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland constitute the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The country is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Irish Sea. Its East coast is washed by the English Channel.

The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, while the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. The climate of Great Britain is mild. Winters are not very cold and summers are not very hot. There is much fog and rain in winter. The weather in Great Britain is very changeable. A fine sunny morning can change into a wet gloomy afternoon and evening The English people say: "Other countries have a climate; in England we have weather." The weather is the favourite conversational subject.

The British Isles are well provided with rivers, but none of them is very long. The lakes of the British Isles are not of much importance.

Today Britain is densely populated. The United Kingdom is one of the world’s smallest countries. The population of the country is over 87 million and about 80% of it is urban. The UK is highly developed industrial country. It’s known as one of world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. Britain’s heavy industry is located in the heart of England and in London region. The shipbuilding industry is of great importance for Britain. Seaports play a great role in the life of the country. London, Liverpool and Glasgow are the biggest.

Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. The Queen is the head of the state but her power is limited by Parliament. The branches of government are: the legislative, the executive and the judiciary. According to the Constitution all power belongs to the Parliament. The British Parliament consists of two Houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Great Britain is a constitutional monarchy. The Queen is the head of State, but her power is limited by Parliament. The branches of government are: the legislative, the executive and the judiciary. The legislature, the parliament is the supreme authority. It comprises two chambers - the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The executive consists of the central Government - that is the Prime Minister, Cabinet, and other ministers. The judiciary determines common law and interprets statutes and is independent of both the legislature and the executive